Machine for crimping the bottom coils of coil springs



y 21, 1953 c. c. SMITH 2,646,086

MACHINE FOR CRIMPING THE BOTTOM COILS OF COIL SPRINGS Filed Oct. 51, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l a M /s 6 5/ so 459 I) 3;'l'l Q fl VENTOR.

C. C. SMITH July 21, 1953 MACHINE FOR CRIMPING THE BOTTOM COILS OF COIL SPRINGS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 31, 1950 a 1C. E :I 6 m 0 Aftorneqs.

July 21, 1953 c. c. SMITH 2,646,086

MACHINE FOR CRIMPING THE BOTTOM cons OF 0011. SPRINGS FiledOct. 51. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 N VEN TOR.

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y 21, 1953 c. c. SMITH 2,646,086

MACHINE FOR CRIMPING THE BOTTOM cons 0F con. SPRINGS Filed Oct. 31, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 f3 m s A z \I 5 r .l' 26' I VENTOR. C Smifh Char/as- Alforngus Patented July 21,

MACHINE FOR CRHVIPING THE BOTTOM COILS COIL SPRINGS Charles 0. SmithfAdrian, Mich, assignor to Stubnitz-Greene Spring Corporation, Adrian, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application October 31, 1950, Serial No. 193,225v 1 This invention relatesto a machine for putting e a crimp in the bottomcoil of a coil spring to be used in a seat cushion or seat back, particularlycushions for automobiles. In the application of Harlan L. Davis, Serial No. 139,214; filed January 18, 1950, entitled Coil Spring Assembly on Seat Spring Cushions, now abandoned, there is described and claimed a spring assembly which comprises a coiled seat spring which has a crimp in the bottom coil which is screwed into locking or engaging relation with springstringers that run from front to back and cross stringers. The machine of this application is an automatic machine for taking the coiled springs from the coiling machine and delivering them to a machine which properly positions the spring and then punches a crimp in the bottom'coil 0f the coil spring.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine,

Fig. 2 is an elevation takenon the line 2-2 of Fig. l which shows the housing of the coiling machine and the mechanism for seizing the spring and raising it to a position to be operated upon bythe crimping machine.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of two of the cams.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig.3.

Fig. '7 is a similar section, but showing the parts in the position they take when the die is raised to its working position.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of the ma chine showing the punch and die coming together to crimp the end coil of the spring.

Fig. 9 is a detail section showing the punch and die crimping the wire of the coil.

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the crimping machine partly broken away to show the one revolution clutch.

I is the housing of thecoiling machine which is no part of the present improvement and hence the details are not shown. The coil spring 2 is shown as it comes out of the coiling machine. It is grasped by a mechanical hand and arm 3 which takes hold of a coil and raises the spring through the arc 6, shown by the dotted line, to the proper location on the'horn 5 for crimping. The spring is shown onthis horn in the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The mechanical hand draws the large diameter end coil into the channel 8. This channel 8 is formed by a bar 9 and a plate I 0 which is held against the bar 9 by means of the coiled springs H on bolts l2. This plate puts a 10 Claims. (01. 140-105) 2 slight friction on the large coil so that as it is drawn along by the draw bar it will hold its position.

When the spring is properly located on the I horn the crimping machine goes to work. The motor M is continuously running. Aone revolution clutch is shown in Figs. 3 and 10. This is controlled by a solenoid S and a clutch pin l3 which is operated bythe solenoidand guided in the bushin It contained inithe sleeve I5 which is apartof the' housing it of themachine. When the spring has reached the position on the horn to be worked on. by the crimping maiii) chine, an electric controller (not shown) coordinated with the coiling machine or the mechanical hand completes a circuit in the solenoid Sand this pulls the solenoid clutch pin l3 out of the cam groove I? in the jaw clutch driven member l8, see Fig. 3. Springs i9 located in recesses 53 (Figs. 5 and 10) then throw the driven clutch member into engagement with the driving clutch member 29. This driving clutch member 20. is driven by helical gear 2! which in turn is driven by the worm 22 on the motor shaft 23. The solenoid is only energized momentarily. When the driven clutch members have been engaged the solenoid is deenergized and the spring 24 throws the clutch pin I3 back against the cylindrical surface of the driven clutch member and it rides on this surface until this member has turned about 210 and then the helicalcam groove comes into registry with the end of the clutch pin 13 (Fig. 10) and this member is forced into the cam groove l 7 by means of the coil spring 2.4 (Fig. 3).-

Then 'as the clutch turns forward to complete a,

revolution, the helical cam groove, in connection with the clutch pin I3 draws the clutch parts out of engagement, as shown in Fig. 3.

The head 21 of shaft 25 carries punch 28 and also a segmental abutment or work locator 28. When the spring is in correct location it may be turned to the correct position to have the coil crimped. This work locator 28 is turned by the shaft 25 and it engages the very end of the coil as shown in Fig. 10, and brings the spring to the position shown in Figs. 9 and 10. This also turns the punch 26 on the head. This turning-of the shaft 25 is accomplished by the pinion 29 which is fixed to the shaft 25 (see Fig. 3). This pinion has long teeth (Figs. 6 and 7) that engage with the rack 39 which is caused to move upwardly by cam 3| on cam shaft 32 (Fig. 3). This cam shaft is attached to the driven clutch member it. This turning movement of the working head 2| is:

through a sufiicient arc to pic-l; up the coil at any position which it may assume when it is carried onto the horn and then turn the spring to a position where it can be acted upon by the punch and die and deliver the crimp at the proper place.

However, before this turning movement, the cam 33 has come into play and raised the die 36' from its lowermost position (see Fig. 6) to the position shown in Fig. 7. The cam does this by thrusting on the arm 35. The arm is held against the cam by spring 36 (Fig. 3) bearing against the collar 31 on the stud 38. The die has to be moved in and out of position in order to allow the spring to pass by to get into position to have the crimp put in it. The earlier movement of the die is apparent from the position of the punch 26 and the die 34 in both Figs. 6 and '7 and also by comparing the high surfaces on cam 33 and 3 1.. Note that the peak of the cam 33 is engaging the die operating arm 35 in Fig. '7 while the low part of the cam 3! is engaging the rack plunger in this figure. When the high part of cam 3! comes under the rack plunger 30 and raises this, this turns the head 21 from the position shown in Figs. 6 and '7 to the position shown in Fig. 8. This lines up part of the coil to be crimped with the punch and die. n

The final punching operation can now be effected by the slow closing of the punch into the die due to the gradual rise of the cam 39. This cam bears against the roller 40 on the two-arm lever or yoke GI. This lever is pivoted on the shaft 4-2 which is supported on the standards and. 44 rising in the housing If. The die raising lever is also supported on the same shaft, see Fig. 4. Bushings 4'5 and 4'0 are provided for the die raising lever 35 and the punch actuating lever M respectively. When the cam 39 moves the roller and the lever 4| outwardly at the lower end, the upper end bears on the collar t! on shaft 25 and forces the shaft to the right. Compare Figs. 6 and '7. The parts in Fig. 7 have moved about 100 in the cycle. The die is raised in working position. The punch has advanced toward the work, but not its full movement. There is a gradual movement of the punch from the position shown in Fig. '7 until the point marked Max, on the cam 39 comes against the roller 49. During this gradual advancing of the punch upon the work and on the die, the head with the locating segment 28 and the punch gradually rotate and advance from the position shown in Figs. 6 and '7 to the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9 where the final crimping operation is performed.

The spring 68 thrusting against the boss 49 on the housing i and the washer 50 and the nuts 5| keeps the roller 45 against the cam 39. When the dies open and the'punch segments 26 to 28 respectively turn back to their first position and the die 34 is pulled to its lower position, the end of the lowermost coil of the spring springs out to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 9 and this gives the final slightly turned upward position of the end of the spring, say of 20, described in the Davis application.

When the die and punch return to their position of receiving the next spring to be crimped the draw bar 6 operated by suitable link connections (not shown) by means of the pin 7 pulls the spring out of the friction channel 8 and starts the spring sliding down the declining invert T chute 52, thence into a hopper. The draw bar 6 returns to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 before the solenoid is again energized. p

I desire it to be understood that in the claims I use the word housing in the broad sense of a 4 support for the shafts and other members and not requiring an enclosure.

What I claim is:

l. A machine for putting a crimp in the end coil of a coil spring, having in combination a housing, a cam shaft supported to turn therein, a sliding and turning shaft supported therein and having at one end a head provided with a locator projecting therefrom and serving, when the head is turned, to bear against the end of the spring and rotate the spring on its longitudinal axis to the proper crimping position, a punch on said head, a die which slides up and down, transverse the path of travel of the punch, in the housing to, in its lower position, clear the coil spring that is drawn into position for the crimping operation, means for picking up the coil spring and passing it over the lowered die into position for the crimping operation and to be rotated by the projecting locator, means for holding the spring in said; position, and means including cams on the camshaft and connecting elements for raising the die to engage the coil spring, turning the shaft and head part of a turn to orient the coil spring, and for sliding the shaft and head for bringing the punch and die onto the wire to put a crimp in the end coil.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the means for turning the sliding and turning shaft is a rack and a long toothed pinion cooperating with one cam.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the means for raising the die to working position is a. die raising arm supported to turn on a shaft supported in the housing, and a rotating cam with a spring activating the arm to hold the arm in contact with the cam.

i. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the means for bringing the punch and die against the end coil is a lever in which one end of the lever is activated by a cam turning on the cam shaft and the other end of the lever bears between a pair of collars. on the sliding and turning shaft.

5. The combination claimed in clahn f in which a spring bears against the housing and against an abutment on the end of the shaft for pulling the shaft out of the working position and causing the end of the lever to keep in working relation with the cam.

6. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the means for turning and advancing the shaft, the head, the locator, and the punch upon the work and upon the die is the said cam on the cam shaft engaging a spring pressed rack that engages with long pinion teeth on the shaft to turn the shaft, the locator and the punch, and another said cam activates a lever which has one end engaging between two collars on the shaft to advance the shaft as it is also turned by the pinion and the rack, and spring means for withdrawing the shaft and head from the work and keeping the actuating lever in the proper relation to the cam.

'7. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the means for turning the shaft, the head, the locator and the punch, and for advancing them toward the work, and the means for raising and lowering the die, is the said cam shaft with three cams, one of which bears against a rack which has rack teeth engaging long pinion teeth on the shaft, and a spring tending to push the rack end against the cam, the second cam actuates a lever which controls the longitudinal shifting of the shaft in conjunction with a spring tending to withdraw the shaft from the work, and the this lever against the resistance of aspring.

8. The combination claimed in claim 1 with a one revolution clutch which operates with the cam shaft to limit the movement of the parts of the machine to one cycle.

9. The combinationclaimed in claim 1 with a pivoted mechanical hand which is used to grasp the spring as it comes out of the coiling machine and lift'it, a horn which takes the lifted spring and friction gripping means for holding the spring to be engaged by the rotating locator, the rising die, and the turning and advancing punch.

10. The combination claimed in claim 9 with the gripping means having a channel for a part of one coil of the spring to bepassed, said channel formed by a bar and a spring pressed plate to give some friction for the coil to hold it, and a draw bar and projection pulls the spring out of position after the work on it has finished.

CHARLES C. SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Johnson Aug. 3, 1886 Cooper Feb. 2, 1892 Beaumont Dec. 7, 189'? Bull Oct. 28, 1924 Stackhouse June' l, 1929 Gail Mar. 29, 1932 Oldham May 16, 1933 Gritz Mar. 5, 1935 

